Manchester Airport Awards Multilateration Contract to Saab in Support of Airport Expansion

Saab has been selected by Manchester Airport to provide Multilateration coverage for the airport’s current configuration, and then to expand coverage for the new stands and piers planned between now and 2024 operation.

Saab will install their Cooperative Surveillance System (CSS) and newest generation of remote units in a phased implementation to facilitate Manchester Airport’s Transformation Programme. Among other enhancements, the Transformation Programme will reconfigure Terminal 2 and integrate new stands, taxiways and piers to allow for expanded flight schedules. During construction, Saab will leverage its experience in deploying similar systems at airports undergoing infrastructure changes, in order to provide continuous aircraft surveillance.

The flexibility of Saab’s Multilateration technology, along with expertise in commissioning phased implementations of that technology, will help Manchester Airport meet its Pilot Common Project (PCP) requirements, provide high efficiency operations, and improve its customers’ travel experiences.

“Manchester Airport was looking for a surveillance partner that could identify challenges that can arise during construction, plan for them, and then react in a fast changing environment. Working together with our customers on these types of solutions is where Saab excels,” says Mike Gerry, head of business unit Air Traffic Management within Saab business area Industrial Products and Services.

“This announcement marks a key milestone in the airport’s Advanced Surface Movement Guidance Control System (ASMGCS) project. Saab was selected as a market leader in the area of MLAT, with a proven record of delivering these systems across the UK and wider world. We look forward to working with Saab to deliver this safety-critical technology, and the ongoing transformation of our operations to accommodate future aviation growth,” says Rad Taylor, Operations Director, Manchester Airport.

Saab’s Air Traffic Management (ATM) expertise spans airport operations, surveillance sensors, Air Traffic Control (ATC) automation, collaborative decision-making, and digital towers. Our solutions are trusted by air navigation service providers, airports and airlines at over 100 locations in more than 45 countries. As a global leading partner and provider of proven ATM solutions and services, we transform operations, turning innovative ideas into reality and supporting stakeholders from solution conception through to long-term support.